If you’ve been paying attention to the shifting demographics in Texas, you won’t be surprised by something pretty interesting: Texas is likely to be a swing state within the next decade, and it’s even possible it could happen before the 2016 electoral cycle. With a whopping 38 electoral votes, the removal of Texas from Republican hands would be a massive blow against the right-wing. In fact, the loss of Texas alone would ensure a loss in a close election. Usually, Republican officials deny the possibility of Texas shifting to Democratic hands, but one GOP chairman in the Lone Star State has admitted it could happen.

Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri knows the danger this would pose to his party. As reported by Real Clear Politics:

While the knee-jerk reaction among many Republicans would be to dismiss the idea that the state could be competitive in 2016 — just four years after Mitt Romney carried it by 16 points over President Obama — Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri is in no mood to sneer.

In an interview with RCP, Munisteri said that he has long taken seriously the possibility that Texas could become a battleground as early as 2016, particularly if Clinton becomes the Democratic standard-bearer.

“If she’s the nominee, I would say that this is a ‘lean Republican’ state but not a ‘solid Republican’ state,” he said. “I don’t know anyone nationally who’s scoffing at this. The national party leadership is aware and tells me they’re taking it seriously.”

They also report on a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling, which indicated that a run by Hillary Clinton would do well in Texas against almost nearly any GOP-fielded candidate.

Republican leaders are actually well aware of their demographic problem in Texas, no matter what conservative media and talking heads say. This should be obvious by the extremely transparent way they’ve been courting Hispanics as of late; Marco Rubio is only one example of the ways they’re trying to get the Hispanic vote. Unfortunately for them, Hispanics vote Democratic by overwhelming numbers, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to rush to join the party of divisiveness and racial prejudice anytime soon.